Wycombe secure memorable draw
Bridge scored his first goal in three years
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Wednesday, 10, Jan 2007 10:41
Wycombe Wanderers grabbed an historic 1-1 draw with Premiership champions Chelsea in their Carling Cup semi-final first leg.
The visitors took the lead after 35 minutes through Wayne Bridge but the League Two side bounced back in the second half and secured a deserved draw after Jermaine Easter equalised with 13 minutes remaining.
It was a spirited display from the Chairboys as they competed well with the Premiership big guns in the opening minutes. However, as the first-half wore on the Blues seized the ascendancy.
Following a series of corners and sustained pressure in which Tommy Doherty had to clear off his own line, the Blues eventually made the breakthrough.
Bridge was released by Salomon Kalou's pass and he lifted the ball over the on-rushing Ricardo Batista in the Wycombe goal.
Chelsea were lacking key personnel at the back and had Paulo Ferreira and Michael Essien filling in as centre-backs.
Despite this, it was still a strong Blues line-up but they failed to dominate their lower division opponents and the League Two side increasingly edged their way back into the game in the second-half.
They grabbed an unlikely equaliser when veteran forward Tommy Mooney headed on a hopeful long ball and Easter latched on to it.
He held off the attentions of Essien and his shot had just enough power to get past Hilario in the Blues' goal to send the home crowd wild.
Stefan Oakes nearly snatched it at the end for Wanderers but his free kick passed inches over the Chelsea crossbar.